Tilling Tips & Techniques - Troy-Bilt Garden Way 12194 Owner's Manual

TILLING TIPS & TECHNIQUES
• This is a CRT (counter-rotating tine) tiller. As the wheels pull
forward, the tines rotate backward. This createsan "uppercut" tine
action which digs deeply, uprooting soil and weeds. Don't over-
load the engine,but dig as deeply as possible on each pass. On
later passes, the wheels may tend to spin in the soft dirt. Help
them along by lifting up slightly on the handlebar(one hand, palm
up, works most easily).
• Avoid the temptation to push down on the handlebars in an
attempt to force the tiller to dig deeper. Doing so takesthe weight
off the poweredwheels,causing them to losetraction. Without the
wheels to hold the tiller back, the tines will attempt to propel the
tiller backward,towards the operator. (Sometimes,slight down-
ward pressure on the handlebarswill help get through a particu-
larly tough section of sod or unbrokenground, but in most cases
this won't be necessary.)
• When cultivating (breaking up surface soil around plants to
destroy weeds, see Figure 4-9), adjust the tines to dig only
I" to 2" deep. Using shallow tilling depths helps prevent injury
to plants whose roots often grow close to the surface. If
needed,lift up on the handlebars slightly to prevent the tines
from digging too deeply. (Cultivatingon a regular basis elimi-
nates weeds,and loosens and aeratesthe soil for better mois-
ture absorption and faster plantgrowth.)
• Watering the garden area a few days prior to tilling will make
tilling easier,as will letting the newly worked soil set for a day or
two beforemakinga final, deep tilling pass.
With experience, y ou will find the '_ust right" tilling depth and tilling speedcombinationthat is best for
your garden.
Set the enginethrottle leverat a speedto givethe engineadequatepowerand yet allow it to operateat the slowest possiblespeed...atleast
until you haveachievedthe maximum tilling depth you desire. Fasterenginespeeds may be desirablewhen making final passesthrough
the seedbedor when cultivating.Selectionof the correctengine speed,in relationto the tilling depth,will ensurea sufficient power levelto
do the job without causingthe engineto labor.
While tilling, relax and let the wheels pull
the tiller along while the tines do the
digging. Walk on the side that is not yet
finished (to avoid making footprints in the
freshly tilled soil) and lightly, but securely
grip the handlebarwith just one hand.
Whenever possible, walk on the untilled
side of the unit to avoid making footprints
in your freshly tilled or cultivated soil.
Footprints causesoil compaction that can
hamperroot penetrationand contributeto
soil erosion. They can also "plant"
unwanted weed seeds back into the
freshly tilled ground.
Tilling wet soil often results in large, hard
clumps of soil that can interferewith plant-
ing. If time permits, wait a day or two after
heavy rains to allow the soil to dry before
tilling. Test soil by squeezingit into a ball.
If it compressestoo easily, it is too wet to
till.
• Whenpreparing a seedbed,go over the same pathtwice in the first row, then
overlap one-half the tiller width on the rest of the passes (see Figure
4-6). Whenfinished in one direction, make a second pass at a right angle as
shown in Figure4-7. Overlapeachpass for best results (in very hard ground,
it may takethree or four passesto thoroughly pulverizethe soil.)
• If the garden size will not
permit lengthwise and then
crosswise tilling, then overlap l_._l,
the first passes by one-half a
tiller width, followed by succes-
sive passes at one-quarter
width (seeFigure4-8).
Figure4.8
Figure4-6
Figure4.7
With planning, you can allow ,,"_%, _o_v,%
enough r oom between rowsto I
cultivate (seeFigure4-9). Leave
@ I
room for the hood width,
l :t'Jl@l l
plus enough extra room for _ "-4,_"
future plant growth. Figure 4.9